Power-transmitting gearing



Sept. 4, 1923. 1,451,169

(5. B. KElL POWER TRANSMITTING GEARING Filed Oct. 11, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 4, 1923. 1,467,169

a. B. KEIL POWER TRANSMITTING GEARING Filed 0st. 11 1920 Sept. 4, 1923. I 1,467,169

G. B. KEIL POWER TRANSMITTING GEARING GUSTAV B. KEIL, OF ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 UPTON MACHINE COMPANY,

OF ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

POWER-TRANSMITTING GEARING. l

Application filed October 11, 1920. Serial No. 416,155.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV B. Km, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Jose h, in the county of Berrien and State of ichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Transmitting Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in power transmitting gearing and has especial reference to gearing of this character adapted to operate domestic washing machines and associated wringers.

One of the objects of the invention is to improve, simplify and reduce the cost of devices of this character.

Another object is to provide improved controlling means for the gearing.

Another object is to provide a separately assembled, organized power unit structure that is self-contained and substantially independent of the character of the support upon which it is mounted.

Another object is the provision of an improved support especially advantageous for attachment of the power-gearing unit thereon.

Another object is the provision of an especially constructed frame upon which to assemble and support the gearing unit to make a self-contained structure for operating an element to be oscillated and an element to be rotated and the means for attaching it to the support.

Another object is the provision of an especially deslgned support for the gear containing structure, constltutlng, with the mechanism mounted thereon, the gearing unit.

Other, further and more specific objects of the invention will become readily apparent to persons versed in the art, from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the draw in formin a part hereof, wherein igure 1 s ows a selected embodiment of the invention, in elevation.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged elevation of the self contained gearing unit with parts shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

ig. 4 is a vertical section and an interior view of a detachable gear casing containing changeable mechanism for stopping and reversing direction of motion of an element to be rotated, driven by the gearing unit towhich reference has been made.

In all of the views the same reference characters are used to indicate similar parts.

I have shown my improved gearing mechanism in association with a Washing machine and wringer, as it is best adapted for operating these devices.

In the chosen embodiment the main support consists of the casing 101 comprising parallel vertical side walls 10 and 11 and a back wall 12. To the top edges of these walls, the top edges of the walls of the tub, contained within the main support, or casing, are attached.

The tub 13 is fastened to the side walls 10 and 11 at its top edges by any suitable means. At the front and rear adjacent vertical edges of the side walls 10 and 11 are angular corner legs 16 and 17. These legs overlie the respective vertical edges of the side and end walls. Flanges 14 and 15 of the front legs form jambs for the door or apron 18.

The wall 12 forming one vertical wall of the tub, is located back of the legs 16 and 17 to provide gear receiving space 19 within which to contain the lower gearing unit 20. This unit is adapted and intended tobe separately assembled and put together, after which it is bodily mounted on the support consisting, in the exemplified embodiment, of the legs 16 and 17 and the rear wall 12, thus providing a three point support, the front pair of legs, one on each side, afi'ording two supports and the wall 12, the third support.

The frame 21, of the unit 20, is a casting, having four horizontal legs, as shown, the legs 22, 23, 2 1 and 25, and each legis provided with a foot, 26, 27, 28 and 29, respectively. The feet, 26 and 28, are bolted directly to the vertical angular corner leg 16, of thesupporting casing by bolts 30, and the feet, 27 and 29, are bolted to the angular corner leg 17 of the casing by bolts 30'. The bolts pass thru the side walls 10 and 11, respectively, and associated corner leg.

Near the center of the frame 21 is a hollow hub 32 forming a bearing for shaft 34. A suitable gasket 33 provides a water-tight joint around the stub shaft 34. The overlying washer 35 is held in place by screws that with the wall 12. The shaft 34 is to 'be oscillated thru the gearing of the unit 20 from the constantly rotating electric motor 37. Secured to and supported by the shaft 34 is a clothes receptacle, or oscillatable cylinder 38.

Secured to the outer squared end of the stub shaft 34 is a cared segment 39 which is oscillated by t e reciprocating geared rack 40.

In United States Patent No. 1,059,788, dated April 22, 1913, there is shown a gearing mechanism containing the quadrant and rack arranged for oscillating a clothing receptacle but in the present structure there are several features of value differing from that of the aforesaid patent.

In the present embodiment, the gearing mechanism is reduced to a very small number of parts and it is mounted and assembled on a separate frame to constitute an independent self-contained unit adapted for emplacement bodily. within the casing and supported therein b attachment to the corner -legs thereof an to the rearwardly displaced wall 12.

The sliding "rack 40 in my improved structure is supported on a slide 41 which is, preferably, bolted to the frame 21. The rack .is connected to the crank arm 42 by the connecting rod 43.

The crank arm 42 and shaft 44 are, preferably, made in one integral piece, the shaft portion passes through a bearing 45 in the unit frame member 20 and, on the other side there is connected to the shaft, a mitergear 46. The miter gear 46 is driven from a horizontal main drive shaft 47, that is supported in bearings 49 and 50. The twopart shaft 47, indicated by 47 and 47 is arranged to be connected together by clutch members 53 and 55 that are supported, re-,

spectively, on the shaft section 47 and 47. One end of the sliding sleeve 52 carries the clutch member 53 for co-operation with the clutch member 55 on the other section 47 of the drive shaft, and member 47 is se cured to the shaft by the pin 56'. A handoperable lever 57 has one of its arms 57' provided with a pin 60 projecting intoan annular groove 61 in the sliding clu'tch member 53, for the purpose of sliding the clutch member into and out of engagement with clutch member 55, so that the gear 46 may be driven when the shaft section 47 is rotated. The end 57 of the lever 64 engaging the sliding clutch 53 constitutes a portion of the controlling lever. The controlling lever" is pivoted, at 63, the portion 64, extending beyond the casing, as at 65,

thereby providing a handle for the purpose of raising and lowering the lever for memes engaging and disengaging the clutch members 53 and 55, in the manner clearly apparent from the showing in Fig. 2.

The main shaft section 47 is rotatedby a train of gears from the band wheel 67. This band wheel is mounted on the fixed shaft 66 and is driven by a grooved pulley 68, on the motor 37 thru the instrumentality of a connecting belt 69. The stub shaft 66 is fixed to or is a part of the frame 20, and the band wheel is held on by cotter pin 69' and washer 68. On the opposite side of the band wheel 67 spur pinion 70, shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, is in mesh with the ear wheel 71. Gear wheel 71 rotates on t e fixed shaft 72 and is held thereon by a cotter pin 74 and washer 73. The stub shaft 72 is a part of or is supported on a part 75 of the frame 20 thru which the shaft 47 passes freely. On the opposite side of the gear wheel 71 is a miter gear 76 which is in mesh with a similar miter gear 77 secured to the shaft 47. By this means the shaft 47 is rotated and all of the mechanism described is driven by this section of the horizontal main shaft 47. Now, it will be apparent, that when the clutch members 53 and 55 are connected to-' gether, that the receptacle or cylinder 38, within the tub 13, will be oscillated by the shaft 34 carrying a part 34 that engages a bracket 38' on the receptacle 38.

In addition to oscillating the clothes receptacle 38 within the tub, it is also desired to rotate the wringer, or other rotatable member, that may be placed upon the top of the casing, or above the mechanism just described. This is accomplished thru the following described means.

On the outer end of the main section of the shaft 47 is secured, a miter pinion 80 which is in mesh with an intermediate idler miter'pinion 81 freely rotatable, on a fixed stud shaft 81'. The miter pinion 81 carries a spur pinion 81a in mesh with a similar spur gear pinion b on shaft 82.

Shaft 82 passes thru a bearing 83 on the 'is held thereon by means of the steel pin 85.

Near the lower end of the shaft 91, Fig. 4,'is a transversely extending pin 86 that forms a coupling member with the notch in the sleeve 84 to permit removal of the shaft section 91.

The bracket 88 is hollow and is fixed to one upper corner of the casing 10. Thru this bracket there extends a sleeve 89, which is a part of the frame 90, and with the shaft section 91 and the frame 90, it is instantl removable from the bracket by lifting 1t therefrom. N

Secured to and mounted on the end of the shaft 91, in the housing 9.3, is a miter gear 95. A horizontal shaft 92 extends thru the housing 93 on which are loosely mounted miter gears 9797' which are free-to rotate thereon. These gears are sufiiciently spaced apart to permit of the introduction of .a slidable clutch sleeve 99, therebetween. The clutch sleeve 99 is freely slidable' on, the shaft 92 and is secured thereto by means of an angular part of the shaft or the feather 100. The member 99 is provided with clutch engaging members 101, for co-operation with a similar member 102 on the gear member 97. It is also provided with clutch engaging members 103 for co-operation with similar members 1 on the gear member 97, so that when the clutch sleeve 99 is made to engag either of the co-o-perating clutch members on the gears 97 and 97, respec tively, the driving gear member 95 with which both of the gears 97 and 97 are in mesh, will rotate shaft 92 either in one direction or in the other. The gear 95 is shown to be secured to the vertical shaft 91 by pin 107. It is now apparent that by shifting the clutch sleeve 99, on the shaft 92, that the shaft 106, which is coupled to shaft 92, may be made to rotate in either direction in accordance with the gears 97 or 97 In the present instance, the device to be rotated is a wringer 110 supported on theframe 90 'by means of the horizontal bar 111.

The vcam'112 for shifting the clutch sleeve 99 to change direction of rotation .of the shaft 106 is rotatably supported in the casing 93.

On the lower end of the cam part 112 is a pin 112' located at one side of the axis of the shaft 121. This pin enters an annulargroove 99 in the clutch sleeve 99. A handle 122 is secured to the upper end of the shaft 121 by pin 123 and is the means by which the clutch members may be made to engage and disengage. It is apparent that when th handle is in midway position that all of the clutch members are disengaged.

The frame 90 carries a pivoted lever 130 having a weighted arm 131 and which is base 113 which is hinged at 114 to the side wall 11 of the casing. An arm 115 is hinged to the sideplate 11, at 116, and passes thru a slot in base plate 113. A spring 117 surrounds the arm 115 and bears on the base 113 to supplement the effect of gravity as means to maintain the driving belt 69 sufficiently taut. A wing nut 118 may be used on the end of the arm to tighten the spring.

From the foregoing description, it will be manifest, that when the frame 90 is raised vertically so that the post 89 ,clears and is removed from the bracket 88, that this frame may beentirely disengaged and taken away from the casing merely by the act of lifting it therefrom. When the power unit frame 21 is taken away from the casing, all of the operating mechanism is thereby entirely removed therefrom.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character described, a casing comprising two, upright end walls and two upright side walls; a pair of legs, L-shape in cross section overlying the adjacent side and end wall edges respectively at the front end of the casing to provide a receptacle for a driving gear unit in combination with a driving gear unit comprising a'vertically disposed plate having bearings for a horizontally disposed shaft a.

said parts aligning; a clutch to connect the parts together; a pinion on each outer end of the composite. shaft and. miter gears between the legs of the plate, one at each end, in mesh with the respective pinions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribed my name.

' GUSTAV B. KEIL. 

